This invention relates in general to periodontics and more particularly to an instrument used to measure the depth of the gingival sulcus and periodontal pockets.
Chronic periodontal disease is typically a plaque induced inflammatory disease which results in progressive bone loss around the teeth. The increased sulcus depths in the gums create periodontal pockets which are indicative of the progression of the disease. To adequately diagnose and treat periodontal disease, it is essential to assess past periodontal destruction and to monitor current disease activity. This requires that the depths of the gingival sulcus and any periodontal pockets be accurately determined. At present, pocket depth is normally measured by a periodontal probe in the form of a metal device having a thin tip which is scored with calibration marks. The probe is inserted into the sulcus between each tooth and the gingiva until resistance is felt, which indicates that the bottom of the periodontal pocket has been reached by the tip of the probe. The depth reading is then taken by noting the penetration of the probe, as visually gauged by the calibration mark which is judged to be closest to the height of the gingival margin. Standard practice involves taking six depth readings around each tooth at prescribed locations. Each reading is recorded, typically by verbally reporting it to an assistant who writes it by hand on a dental chart.
As can easily be appreciated, the use of a conventional periodontal probe is a time consuming and labor intensive procedure which does not always result in the precise recording of measurements. Highly paid technicians must spend a considerable amount of time in making a visual reading of the pocket depth each of the six times the probe is inserted around each tooth, and additional time is consumed by the need to manually record each reading. Larger errors are not uncommon because the probe is normally calibrated in increments as large as 3 millimeters, and this necessitates visual interpolation between the calibration marks. Human error that is inevitably involved in visually taking and interpolating the readings adds to the inaccuracy, as does the error that sometimes results from the verbal reporting and manual writing of the readings. The lack of precision in the measurements that result from use of the conventional probe can lead to inaccurate diagnoses, improper therapy, and other adverse consequences.